I want to be honest about something: I was frightened of bathing my son. Not in a dramatic way — I knew it was something millions of parents do every day without incident — but in the quiet, specific way that new parents are frightened of things they haven't done before with a person who is very small and very dependent on them getting it right.
My son Cormac was born eight weeks ago. The midwife showed us how to top-and-tail him in the hospital, which is manageable. The first proper bath at home was a different proposition. I'd watched videos. I'd read the guidance. I still felt underprepared.
The thing I was most anxious about was the water temperature. Too cold and he'd be uncomfortable and distressed. Too warm and I'd be causing harm I couldn't see. I needed a way to know, with certainty, that the water was right before I put him in it.
Why the Thermometer Was the Non-Negotiable
I'd been using a separate bath thermometer — a floating duck that changes colour — but it required interpretation rather than giving a clear reading, and I didn't fully trust my interpretation of it. What I wanted was something integrated into the bath itself, something I couldn't forget to use or misread.
The baby plus Bath Tub with Thermometer Set solved that problem directly. The integrated thermometer indicator is built into the tub — it's there every time, it reads the water temperature clearly, and there's no separate device to remember or interpret. For a first-time parent whose primary anxiety about bathtime was getting the temperature wrong, that single feature was worth the purchase on its own.
Everything Else That Made It the Right Choice
The thermometer was the headline, but the rest of the set is equally well thought through. The 45-litre capacity is generous enough to give Cormac comfortable space without being so large that it requires an impractical amount of water. The non-slip feet mean the tub stays exactly where I put it on the bathroom floor — no shifting when I'm leaning over it with both hands occupied. The water drainage feature means emptying it afterwards is straightforward rather than a two-person lifting job.
The foldable design was also important for us. We live in a flat with a small bathroom and limited storage. A rigid baby bath that lives permanently in the bathroom would be a problem. The baby plus tub folds flat after use and hangs on the included hook — it takes up almost no space and dries properly between uses. That's a practical detail that makes a real difference in a small home.
The BPA-free, phthalate-free, PVC-free materials were the final piece. I'm not someone who reads ingredient lists obsessively, but when it comes to something my newborn is sitting in for ten minutes every day, I wanted to know it was made from baby-safe materials. The baby plus set is explicit about this, which I appreciated.
Cormac's First Bath at Home
I set the tub up on the bathroom floor, filled it using the included 10-litre bucket — which made filling much easier than carrying the tub to the bath and back — and checked the thermometer until it read the right temperature. That part alone removed about 60% of my anxiety. I knew the water was right. I could stop worrying about that and focus on everything else.
Cormac was not immediately enthusiastic. He expressed his opinion of the situation clearly and at volume for the first thirty seconds. Then he settled. By the end of the bath he was calm, looking around with the wide-eyed curiosity that newborns have when something is new and not actively unpleasant. I used the 1-litre scoop to rinse him gently, lifted him out, wrapped him in a towel, and felt the particular relief of having done something difficult for the first time and got it right.
Eight Weeks of Bathtime
We bath Cormac every other evening now. The routine is established: fill with the bucket, check the thermometer, bath, scoop rinse, towel, lotion, sleepsuit. It takes about twenty minutes and has become one of my favourite parts of the day. Cormac has gone from vocal protest to something approaching enjoyment — he kicks his legs in the water now, which I choose to interpret as enthusiasm.
The tub has been used sixteen times and shows no sign of wear. The thermometer reads consistently. The non-slip feet have never shifted. The fold-and-hang storage means it's out of the way between uses and dry when we need it again. Everything works exactly as it should, every time.
The Set That Comes With It
The 10-litre bucket and 1-litre scoop are not afterthoughts. The bucket makes filling the tub practical — you fill it at the tap and pour rather than carrying a full 45-litre tub, which would be both heavy and awkward. The scoop is the right size for rinsing a newborn gently without pouring too much water at once. They're simple accessories that make the whole process work better.
My Verdict
If you're expecting and you're anxious about bathtime — specifically about getting the water temperature right, about having the right equipment, about doing it safely in a small space — the baby plus Bath Tub with Thermometer Set addresses all of those concerns in a single, well-designed product. The integrated thermometer removes the guesswork. The foldable design solves the storage problem. The BPA-free materials give you confidence in what your baby is sitting in. And the complete set means you have everything you need from the first bath.
Bathtime is now something I look forward to. Eight weeks ago, I wasn't sure it would ever feel like that.
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Kieran Molloy is a secondary school maths teacher and first-time dad based in Dublin. He is eight weeks into parenthood, has successfully bathed his son sixteen times, and considers each one a personal victory.
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